


On Pride and Failure

by Only_In_December



Series: In Between Fudge and Needlepoint: A Jack Fenton AU [5]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Gen, I used google translate, Jack Fenton centric, Jack isn't even in it that much, Russian Vlad Masters, Vlad Masters centric, Vlad is a petty child sometimes, Vlad just can't let things go, Vlad speaks Russian in this AU, You can fight me on that, please don't hate me.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:40:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26692348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Only_In_December/pseuds/Only_In_December
Summary: Vlad had once thought that Jack Fenton was his best friend. That is, until The Accident. Was twenty years a long time to hold a grudge? Maybe, but he has had absolutely no reasons to let bygones be bygones.Or...Vlad Masters' thoughts on the most important day of his life.
Relationships: Jack Fenton & Maddie Fenton & Vlad Masters, Jack Fenton & Vlad Masters, Jack Fenton/Maddie Fenton (mentioned), Maddie Fenton & Vlad Masters
Series: In Between Fudge and Needlepoint: A Jack Fenton AU [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1934956
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	On Pride and Failure

**Author's Note:**

> I don't speak any Russian. So if any of you guys can help me out better with that, let me know. I'm leaving all the translations at the end, sorry if that's not the best way to do that. Let me know if there's a better place for those.

Vlad wasn’t so sure about this. He _knew_ Jack’s theory about ghosts was right. He _knew_ an Interdimensional Wormhole to the Ghost Dimension was possible. _But_ he also knew that they didn’t have the resources or materials necessary to make one. “This isn’t going to work Jackie.” He’d already warned his best friend _multiple times,_ but Jack was Jack.

“Nonsense Vlad! It’ll work!” Jack’s enthusiasm was contagious. But not enough to make Vlad any less cautious.

“Jackie. I’m serious. What if it blows up _again_? We _don’t_ have the equipment necessary for this here.” Vlad tried explaining again. “We may not get lucky a third time Jack.”

“Vladdie. You trust me _right_?” Jack stopped looking at the paper with the results from their _last_ failed test, and made eye contact with Vlad.

“Against my better judgement? Yes. Если бы я этого не сделал, меня бы здесь не было.” Vlad scrubbed his face. Jack Fenton was going to be the end of him.

“Good. It’ll be fine!” Jack moved about the lab like they were done talking about it, ignoring the Russian. (Jack had long grown used to Vlad muttering in Russian when he was upset.) Vlad was just about to argue some more, when Maddie walked in the lab. Both men looked at her like she was the most important thing in the world.

“Sorry I’m late guys! I needed to help some poor freshman who couldn’t figure out how to get across the campus.” Maddie’s laugh briefly filled the small lab. It had been Vlad’s idea to bring Maddie into their little Ghost Discovery Group. Jack had wanted to wait until they had proof that his theory was right before talking to anyone else about it, but Vlad’s solid logic had (eventually) broken him down. Her insights had been invaluable to them.

“Hey Maddie, there’s something I need to talk to you about.” Vlad had developed feelings for her. He wasn’t sure if it was love yet, but there was definitely attraction.

"In a minute Vlad. I need to double check Jack's work." Maddie said, looking over the most recent calculations. “Jack, did you remember to fill the filtrator with the ecto-purifier?” She looked up briefly, Vlad could look at her beautiful violet eyes all day.

“On it baby!” Jack was overeager to get going. Vlad could tell, by how fast he grabbed the ecto-purifier and dumped it into the filtrator.

“I’m telling you Jack. It’s _not_ going to work.” Vlad leaned over and looked into the Ghost Dimension Wormhole Machine with little trust. (Man they needed to come up with a better name for it.)

“Bogus V-Man! Just you wait! We’re gonna break open the wall _right into the ghost dimension_!” Jack grabbed the remote to turn on the Machine. Maddie looked up in concern.

“Jack. These calculations aren’t right.” She tried to warn him.

“ ** _Bonzai_**!” As per usual, Jack didn’t listen. Of course he didn’t listen.

There was a flash of green light right in Vlad’s face. “ ** _Bogus!_** ” Was all he could think to say. The light faded quickly, and that’s when Vlad started to feel the burning. His whole face felt like it was going to melt off, he could feel blisters forming all over. And it _burned._ He held his face in his hands, but that just made it worse. He looked up at Jack and Maddie. They looked horrified. He felt one of the sores burst open and start dripping down his face. It burned so much.

“Vlad. Oh man. Vladdie I’m-”

“Save it Jack. I’m out.” Vlad ran. He ran all the way back to the dorms and started packing. Maybe he could get his degree later. For now, he was going to the hospital. Maybe they could help. (And stop the _burning_. It hurt so much. His skin felt like it was melting off, it burned so badly.) He could barely move his facial muscles without pain ripping it’s way across his now tender flesh. Jack should have listened to Maddie. What was he thinking? Didn’t Jack hear Maddie say something was wrong? Couldn’t he have stopped for three seconds to actually _use_ that thick head of his? This was all his fault. **_What was he thinking?!_ ** Did Jack never think things through? Vlad was seething with anger, and hatred for his friend. _Ex_ -friend. Vlad was so angry, he picked up that _stupid_ picture of them that Jack had on the wall, and threw it across the room. “ Я ненавижу его. Я ненавижу его. _Я НЕНАВИЖУ ЕГО_!” Vlad screamed as he threw the photograph.

Vlad had just turned back to his packing, when there was a tentative knock at the door. “Vlad? Oh man. I. Geez. Oh crap. Crap. I did this didn’t I? Vladdie-”

“Shut up Jack.” Vlad didn’t even turn around. “I told you before. Only close friends and family call me Vladdie.” He put as much venom into the words as he could. It hurt so much to even speak. But he was mad. “And right now, you’re neither.” Vlad faintly heard the crunch of glass underneath Jack’s feet.

“Vlad. I didn’t realize. I didn’t mean to. Are you okay?” Jack had the gall to sound concerned, and _hurt_. Like he was hurt by any of this. It wasn’t _his_ face that was currently blistering up all over. “I’m so sorry.” Vlad whipped around.

“You’re **_SORRY_**? Oh that makes everything _all_ better Jack. Why would I be mad if you’re _sorry_?” Venom dripped from every word. Vlad’s eyes flashed with anger. “You know Jack, whenever you’re around, ‘accidents’ happen and people get hurt. _That’s_ why nobody wants you around! You should just be glad nobody _died_ this time!” Vlad grabbed his bag and forced his way out of the room. Tears were streaked down both men’s faces at this point, Vlad’s face was burning so badly. He could barely see because of the fluids coming out of the bursting sores. He could just barely make out Jack calling for him and apologizing, as he jumped into his car and drove himself to the hospital as quickly as he dared, it was getting really hard to see at this point.

Ecto-Acne. That’s what Vlad started calling his ‘condition’. The doctors did what they could, but it was hard to cure something that wasn’t even from this dimension. (But they did get it under control, for the most part after a few years, at least it didn’t burn anymore.)

After about four weeks in the hospital, Vlad started developing ghostly abilities. His hands turned invisible, he’d accidentally phase through walls, once he’d even changed physically. His initial reaction had been to try and call Jack and Maddie, but then he stopped, phone in hand, and all he could think of was Jack’s face. **_‘Bonzai!’_ ** Echoed through his head, and he put the receiver back. No. He would never talk to Jack Fenton willingly again.

Vlad looked at his reflection, his hair was white now. That was taking some getting used to, it made him look more like his отец. His face was still covered in the ‘acne’ at this point, he needed to call his parents. Мама must be getting worried, he usually tried to call at least once a week. If he didn’t or couldn’t because of exams, or stress, Jack would call for him. Vlad hated him. He picked the phone receiver back up, and took a deep breath. “Привет? Привет, мама. Извини, что я давно не звонил. Я могу объяснить. Что? Джек уже все объяснил? О. Понятно. Нет, нет, все в порядке, мама, я просто немного шокирован, что Джек позвони, вот и все. Как дела у папы? Это хорошо. Хорошо. Извини, что задержал тебя. Я тоже тебя люблю. До свидания.” Vlad hung up the phone. Jack had called Vlad’s parents to explain? Why? That just didn’t make sense. (Vlad hated him.)

Vlad tried to do as much research into his new ghostly abilities. But it’s hard to really study these things without having someone there to point out the flaws in your theories. (Not that Jack would have listened anyway.) Eventually he got them under control, he started practicing the things he figured out, until he got to the point where he could make up to twelve copies of himself for a whole minute, and he could even make himself disintegrate, although that took quite a bit of concentration. He almost wondered what Jack might think of his ghost powers. Getting to this point took so much time, it had already been almost two years since the accident. Jack had tried to call a couple times, but stopped when he (eventually) realized Vlad wasn’t going to answer him.

* * *

  
  


Vlad was getting better. His face was healing nicely, he had...‘inherited’ the Dairy King’s Castle, he had full control over all his ghostly powers. Things were looking up for Vladamir Masters.

Then, one day close to Christmas, he got a Christmas Card in the mail:

 _“Season’s Greetings! With love, The Fentons: Jack, Maddie, Jasmine, and Daniel”_ _(Underneath the words was a picture of the small family, Jack was wearing a suit, and he had a little girl who couldn’t be older than three wearing a poofy dress, on his lap. And Maddie. Maddie was wearing a beautiful dress, and holding a tiny little baby, who was wearing a suit similar to Jack’s.)_

Vlad’s mood was obliterated. He resisted the urge to scream. “I can’t believe this. Maddie, you married _him_? You had kids with _him?!_ ” He sneered in distaste. He was so upset and angry that he sent the card back. (After angrily scratching out Jack’s face, and writing _‘_ ** _I HATE YOU_** _’_ in big letters on the front, of course.) After that, they didn’t send him another Christmas Card. Although Vlad had a sinking suspicion that it was Maddie who refused to send them to him, not Jack. (Big bumbling idiot, who doesn’t think things through. Doesn’t listen. _Ruined his life_!)

Vlad refused to think about the Fenton household at all for a while. He was rich, powerful, and could have any woman he wanted. He didn’t need to think about the man who stole the only woman he’d ever loved, the man who made him what he was today, the man that ruined everything. He didn’t need to think about Jack Fenton!

Eventually, Vlad realized that he couldn’t stop thinking about how much he despised and loathed that man. He wanted Jack gone. “How? What can I do to make him go away?” Vlad walked around his secret underground lab in ghost form, his blue skin giving off a faint green light. “What can I do to kill Jack Fenton, and not get caught?” Then it struck him. A Ghost Dimension Wormhole Machine! He just needed to hire some ghosts to kill Jack, and it would never get traced back to him.

After all, what did billionaire philanthropist Vladamir Masters have to do with ghosts?

**Author's Note:**

> Russian Translations:  
> Если бы я этого не сделал, меня бы здесь не было- "If I didn't I wouldn't still be here."  
> Я ненавижу его. Я ненавижу его. Я НЕНАВИЖУ ЕГО- "I hate him. I hate him. I HATE HIM!"  
> отец- "father"  
> Мама- "Mom"  
> Привет? Привет, мама. Извини, что я давно не звонил. Я могу объяснить. Что? Джек уже все объяснил? О. Понятно. Нет, нет, все в порядке, мама, я просто немного шокирован, что Джек позвони, вот и все. Как дела у папы? Это хорошо. Хорошо. Извини, что задержал тебя. Я тоже тебя люблю. До свидания- "Hello? Hey Mom. Sorry I haven't called in a while. I can explain. What? Jack explained everything already? Oh. I see. No, no it's all fine Mom, I'm just a little shocked that Jack would call, that's all. How's Dad doing? That's good. Okay. Sorry for keeping you. I love you too. Goodbye."


End file.
